“Could read a couple of chapters”: Hawks announcer latest to take comical jab at Giannis Antetokounmpo’s slow FT routine

Despite being a talented player, Giannis Antetokounmpo has a few flaws in his game and his free-throw shooting is often cited as one of them. Additionally, ‘The Greek Freak’ is known for having one of the most unconventional free throw routines in the NBA.

Just like how Karl Malone famously took his time at the free-throw line in the 90s, the previous MVP of the league also employs a similar tactic, often pushing the limits of the 10-second violation rule. Due to the fact that only a few players use this strategy effectively, some referees may turn a blind eye to the 10-second violation. The opposing team’s knowledge of this tactic was evident when LeBron James utilized it during a Lakers game against the Bucks.

During the latest game between Atlanta and Milwaukee, Hawks play-by-play commentator Bob Rathbun took the opportunity to comment on Antetokounmpo’s routine.

“”If you brought a book with you to the game, you could read a couple of chapters waiting for Giannis at the line,”Rathbun said Antetokounmpo is shooting free throws in the final seconds of the first quarter.

Despite Antetokounmpo’s first free throw, which gave the Bucks a 31-28 lead, Rathbun continued to criticize and took another verbal jab.

“Next free throw- 15 minutes,”Rathbun followed.

Rathbun’s comments have sparked a response on social media, causing several NBA basketball fans to share a few laughs.

The evolution of Giannis Antetokounmpo’s free throw accuracy

Undoubtedly, as Giannis Antetokounmpo enters his 11th NBA season, many question whether his free throw percentage has improved despite his notoriously long routine at the line.

In his debut season in the league during 2013-14, a 19-year-old Antetokounmpo played for an average of 24.6 minutes and made 68.3% of his 2.6 free throw attempts per game. This was one of his lowest performing seasons on the free throw line thus far in his career.

During the 2019-20 season, Antetokounmpo’s free throw shooting was at its lowest, with a percentage of 63% while averaging 10 attempts per game. It seems that in seasons where he takes at least 10 free throws per game, his top performance from the foul line is typically around 72%, as seen in the 2021-22 season.

In the 2016-17 season, Giannis’ highest shooting percentage from the free throw line was 77% with an average of 7.7 attempts per game. However, in the current season, he has only achieved a 65.9% success rate.

Despite his impressive NBA career with the Milwaukee Bucks, Giannis Antetokounmpo’s free throw percentage is only 70.2%, which falls short of the perceived NBA standard of 80% for free throw shooters.